Church can’t use failures of few priests as ground for scrapping celibacy

Fr Paulino Mondo

The Roman Catholic Church adopts celibacy and chastity as necessary requirements for priests and people who have taken vows to lead religious lives.

Other requirements for taking of religious vows are freedom from any impediment, sound Catholic faith, right motivation, good reputation, moral integrity, life of virtue, and sound physical, mental and psychological qualities.
The candidate must not have committed any willful homicide, should not have procured an abortion, should not have gravely and maliciously mutilated oneself or another, not addicted to any drink or drug and should not have attempted suicide among other requirements.

The ground for chaste celibacy has spiritual and practical aspects. Ideally, these two make priests or other religious people free to serve God and the people with a freedom that married persons cannot have. Jesus himself has chosen not to be married and St Paul follows suit and gives the advice of being celibate so as to be free for the Lord and the people." I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord but a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife and he is divided". 1Cor 7:32-34. These days there are furious critics of celibacy who say though they vowed celibacy and chastity for the sake of the gospel, now they are developing a second thought because they have come to realise that celibacy is not a divine obligation. Well and good; yet it is high time we woke up from wrong self-defense and called things by their rightful names.

In mother church there are various signs, symbols and ceremonies that we do, and are not categorically supported by divine law yet they assist us to reach the divine. Take the order of the Holy mass, as an example. Suppose we start asking ourselves where is it in the Bible that we follow a one-hour rite to celebrate, then we shall end up with a mass of five minutes because only words of consecration can be traced to the divine source.

Where there are problems, solutions should be sought. Most people focus mainly on the negative aspect — sexual scandals among the clergy and other religious people. Those criticising celibate life suggest that if one cannot lead a celibate life then one should marry. What is lacking in critics holding such a view is that they do not discuss the real issue. Rather, they feel shame out of it, possibly because of ignorance, faulty value judgment and prejudice. What is needed is deeper discernment of one’s own ability to live a life of chastity during the formative stages. If a priest realises that he is not able to keep his vows he can ask for dispensation from his vows rather than start a new church.

A respectful institution like the Church, where the faithful meet to praise and worship, cannot be a garbage disposal for those who fail to lead a celibate life.

The Church cannot thus use scandals and failures of a few people as a ground for reviewing or scrapping the golden discipline of celibacy. The ground should be positive, virtuous, inspiring and of specific value. But, of course, these scandals among us call for a serious reflection, discernment, conversion, personal conviction and re-consecration in our commitment to God and the Church.

The writer is a priest.

 

 

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